Softball: Lansdale Catholic routs West Catholic for 6th straight win

LANSDALE — Kristin Szczepaniak and the rest of the Lansdale Catholic softball team are looking for a challenge.

The Crusaders will finally get that over their next two games, but on a cool, breezy Thursday afternoon, LC had little trouble with overmatched West Catholic.

Szczepaniak, a junior left fielder, opened scoring with a three-run home run in bottom of the first inning and Lansdale Catholic kept posting runs until it earned a 15-0 Philadelphia Catholic League victory over the visiting Burrs in four innings.

“It’s good, like I’m happy that we’re winning obviously,” Szczepaniak said. “But I mean, I just hope that we’re prepared for the tougher games.”

Szczepaniak finished a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three run scored, while Amanda Bradley went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored for the Crusaders (7-2, 6-0 league), who have won six straight — the last three shutouts by double-digit.

“It was just one of those games you just want to get through, basically, it all you want to do,” Crusaders coach Paul Suder said. “But, we got a tough road ahead of us, Saturday’s North Penn and it’s a game that we really would like to have. So we’re looking forward to playing that one.”

LC takes on the Maidens — the defending District One Class AAAA champs — 7 p.m. Saturday at the Nor-Gwyn Softball Complex. LC then hosts Wissahickon Monday, with the two Suburban One League sides offering the Crusaders some stiffer competition that what they have been facing recently.

“I’m excited cause like the last, like four games, we’ve played really bad teams,” Szczepaniak said. “I’m just hoping, we’ll be able to hit fast pitching and play well.”

Kaelyn Motts and Ashley Seal each collected two RBIs for LC, while Greta Sheridan scored twice.

Danielle Eckroth earned the win, allowing just two hits for the complete-game shutout. She walked three and struck out seven.

The Crusader left-hander’s only real trouble came in the second when the West Catholic loaded the bases with one out after a Theresa Tah single, Saskia Kercy’s double to right and a Frewine Ogabalese walk. Eckroth, however, ended the threat by striking out the next two batters.

“She had a little trouble finding it. I think she got pinched a couple pitches, and she lost her composure a little bit. I think she rushing to get the next one, you know,” said Suder of Eckroth. “But I think she’ll be fine. Both of our pitchers have really done a good job.”

Burrs starter Hailey Horan took the loss, as she gave up 15 runs — 14 earned — on 13 hits. She walked five and did not record a strike out.

In the bottom of the first, Bradley led off with a double, with Bridey Harkins drawing a walk to put two on for Szczepaniak, who belted Horan’s pitch over the wall in center field for a 3-0 LC lead.

“She put it right there and knew she was going to do it and I just hit it,” Szczepaniak said.

The Crusaders added two more runs in the inning on a Alyssa Messina RBI single and a wild pitch that allowed Messina to score.

Lansdale Catholic made it 6-0 in the second when Alicia Kradzinski’s RBI single plated Szczepaniak, who doubled to start the bottom of the frame.

Madeline Molitoris and Mattie Smith began LC’s half of the third with back-to-back base hits, with Bradley’s RBI single on the next at-bat scoring Molitoris’ courtesy runner Alessandra Messina. Smith and Bradley both came home when Rachel Pileggi reached on an error. Motts’ two-RBI single two batters later made it 11-0.

The Crusaders plated four more runs in the fourth to enact the 15-run mercy rule. The first two came on Seal’s double, with Seal scoring on a Sheridan double. A passed ball allowed Sheridan home for the final run.